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Cocktail History
The Christmas Mimosa is a holiday cocktail that was created by Total Wine, the largest independent retailer of fine wine and spirits in the United States. Meant to be a Christmas-inspired twist on the classic Mimosa, the recipe calls for sparkling wine and hint of citrus liqueur but replaces the orange juice with tart cranberry for more festive flair.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Sparkling Wine: This is a carbonated wine made with white or red grapes. We used Villa Bellezza Winery Brillante because it has a light and airy flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine.
Cranberry Juice: This is the liquid juice of cranberries. We used Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice.
Orange Curaçao: This is a liqueur made with oranges, sugar, and brandy or rum. We used Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge because it has a rich Cognac base with notes of bitter orange, hazelnut, and toffee. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Triple Sec Syrup in place of the orange liqueur.
Cranberries: This is a small red fruit. We used fresh cranberries.
Rosemary: This is an herb. We used fresh rosemary from our herb garden.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Tasting Notes
The Christmas Mimosa has woodsy rosemary aromas and a flavor that mellows the sharper wine flavor with a bit of tart cranberry, and it finishes with a lingering accent of spiced orange.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We both thought the Christmas Mimosa was pretty great and have probably found what we’ll be sipping on with our family and friends while exchanging gifts this year.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Huh, this was good! The simple little Mimosa riff mellows out the wine perfectly with the tart cranberry and is accented just enough with spiced orange notes. This is a great breakfast option for Christmas morning when the need to finish opened bottles of sparkling wine from Christmas Eve overshadows the rush of opening presents.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I was a little skeptical that this would even taste like a classic Mimosa given there’s no orange juice, but the addition of the orange liqueur still gives it a noticeable citrusy flavor. I have to say, I think I like this Christmas version even better than the original too. Its use of cranberry juice in place of orange really lets the sparkling wine flavor come through a lot more, and I really loved that about it. I will 100% be enjoying one of this at Christmas brunch this year!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Total Wine.
Add cranberry juice and orange curaçao to a champagne glass.
Top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with cranberries and rosemary sprig.
Ingredients
Directions
Add cranberry juice and orange curaçao to a champagne glass.
Top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with cranberries and rosemary sprig.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine and Monin Premium Triple Sec Syrup in place of the orange liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Cranberry Cobbler: A sherry cocktail made with cranberry syrup, orange slices, a mint sprig, and cranberries
Kohler Mint Cocoa: A chocolate mint brandy cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and grated chocolate
Poinsettia Cooler: A tequila cocktail made with cranberry juice, cranberry shrub, lime juice, and cranberries
The Little Donkey: A vodka cocktail made with gingerbread syrup, lime juice, ginger beer, and a cinnamon stick
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